Device for treating corns and callouses



E. BOCCHINO 2,746,461

DEVICE FOR TREATING CORNS AND CALLOUSES May 22, 1956 Filed Aug. 21, 1953 INVENTOR.

United States Patent DEVICE FOR TREATING CORNS AND CALLOUSES h Ernest Bocchino, Clifton, N. J. Application August 21, 1953, Serial No. 375,677

Claims. cl. 132 -145 This invention relates broadly to pharmaceutical appliances, and more particularly to a device to alleviate the discomfort and pain resulting from the presence of one or more growths upon human extremities.

The feet of many people are afflicted with growths of the type known as corns or those known as callouses. These growths are formed of thick layers of dead tissue; Great discomfort and pain is suffered when a shoe is worn upon a foot thus afilicted. To alleviatesuch discomfort or pain, it has been found advisable to scrape off a part of the dead tissue or. to remove the growth entirely. In the absence of any device which may readily be used for such a purpose, the services of a specialist are frequently sought. This, for many people is a costly and hence prohibitive procedure.

With this in mind, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a handy device with which such growths may either be reduced in size or cut away.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a device'of this character, having a cover formed with a jagged, area which may be used whenit is, desired to scrape away a portion of the growth which is .being treated.

And yet another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a device having a housing which contains a sponge rubber pad, which may be saturated with alcohol or other liquid for application to the treated area.

And a still further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of this character, having asyringe bulb, by means of which the pad may either be supplied with the desired liquid or from which such liquid may be removed by suction.

Yet another advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of this character, the sponge rubber pad of which may be provided with a coarse surface through which a liquid may penetrate, or with a cutting surface for the removal of growths.

These and other meritorious aims and advantages, which will become more fully apparent as the description hereof proceeds, are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a material component of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of one device constructed in accordance with the present invention, part of the rim of the housing being broken away to show the interior construction.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Figure l. v

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the device illustrated in Figure 1; part of the cover being broken away to show the interior construction.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the modification illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of still another modified form of the present invention.

2,746,461 Patented May 22 19 56 ice trated in Figures 1 through 3, the numeral 15 refers to the device generally, which comprises broadly asyringe type bulb generally referred to by the numeral 16 and a housing generally referred to by the numeral 17.

The bulb, specifically referred to by the numeral 18 is preferably made of a flexible material such as rubber and is hollow in its'interior. The nipple of bulb 18. is

adapted to receive and removably retain one end of a hollow, tubular connecting member 19, its otherendbeing removably entered into and retained in the hub 20 of a shell 21, which comprises the hub 20 forming the top of the shell and the wall referred to by the numeral 21. The interior of the shell forms a hollow chamber 22 which may be filled with a pad 23made from an absorbent material such as sponge rubber. .Hub 20 has a central vertical opening 20a throughout its length for a purpose which will presently become more fully apparent. The invention further comprises a cover 24 adapted to be placed over the lower edge of wall 21 of the shell member. Cover 24 may be provided with an abrasive area 25, comprising a plurality'of outwardly extending projections, each having a central'opening therein. There may be a plurality of such areas throughout the periphery of the cover wall, each area spaced from the other, the nonab rasive areas being identified by the numeral 25a.

The modified form illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 comprises a hollow syringe type bulb 30 preferably made of rubber or any other suitable and desirable material, its nipple adapted to receive therein one end of a hollow, tubular connector 31, its other end being entered in ;the hub 32 of a shell 34 having a hollow interior 35 in which may be retained a pad 36 made of sponge rubber or any other suitable and desirable absorbent material. A vertical opening may be provided centrally of the sponge rubber pad for the passage of a screw 37 therein, which terminates in an opening in the hub 32 provided for that purpose. Extending transversely through the rubber 36 is a cut-out 39 covering an area of slightly more than half of the surfaceof the rubber pad, into which is placed a sheet of sandpaper 38 of other suitable coarse material, screw 37 hereabove referred to passing through the sandpaper. An opening 33 is'provided diagonally through the hub 32, the opening being so offset that it terminates in the sponge area and not in the sandpaper area, as is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing.

The modification illustrated in Figure 6 comprises an smaller proportion than that illustrated in Figure 5. The

bulb and hub are the same as shown in Figure 5, hence they are not again illustrated, and screw 48, similar to screw 37 passesthrough the sandpaper area into the hub. Shell 49 in which the sponge rubber and sandpaper pad is retained is identical to shell 34 of Figure 4. The sandpaper area 45 is provided with a plurality of openings spaced about the surface, identified by the numeral 50.

In the modifications illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, a handle 55 is mounted centrally upon the roof of shell 56 having a hollow interior 58 for housing a pad 57 of sponge rubber or any other suitable and desirable material, the

opening 58 being closed by a cover 59. Centrally thereof,

Thus there :has been shown and described a simple yet highliyfleifective device for the purpose for which .it:has been intended, in the principal form of its embodiment and in several modifications. The several embodiments are used in the following manner When the device illustrated in Figures 1 through 3 is used, the" sponge rubber pad 36 is saturated with alcohol or any other required liquid, either by dipping the pad into the-liquid, or by sucking the liquid into" the'bulb 'and, by squeezing the bulb, permitting it to enter the pad gradually. If it is desired to scrape any tissue, the device is used edgewise, in an obvious manner. The liquid in the sponge rubber 'pad will slowly reach the outside through the openings in the projections 25, so that the area to be treated may be kept moist, hence more pliable, and also clean. If it is desired to remove any of the liquid from the pad, suction will draw it into'the bulb.

The device illustrated in Figures 4'a-nd 5 is used in the same-manner. However, only the sponge rubber area will be moist, the sandpaper area remaining dry. The form here under discussion, is preferably used when only a small portion-of tissue is removed. a

The difference between the disclosure in Figures 5 and 6 is thatin Figure 6, the sandpaper area is also moistened through openings 50'through which medication may flow to the affected area.

The :cover of Figures 7 and 8 includes a blade holder and a blade, with which the growth under treatment may be entirely removed in an obvious manner and, by removing the cover, the sponge rubber pad,"which may have been dippedin medication or any other suitable and desirable liquid, may be applied to the effected area.

All of the shells and covers here illustrated are shown the right to make such changes in the construction of the invention .as' may come within the scope of the appended claims without thereby departing either from the spirit or the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A device for treating corns and callouses comprising a hollow housing having a roof and a side wall, a hub formed integrally with said-roof and projecting upwardly therefrom, an opening diagonally through said hub, a hollow cylindrical connecting tube, one of its ends in said hub, a flexible hollow bulb, the other end of said tube entered in said bulb, an absorbent pad in said housing adapted to receive liquid from said bulb through said connecting tube and .diagonalopening and an abrasive area in said device for manipulation over the area to be treated.

2. A device for treating corns and callouses as set forth in claim 1, wherein the abrasive area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart, outwardly extending projections throughout theouter face of the side wall of said housing.

3. A device v,as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said projections is formed with an. opening therethrough, through which'liquid from the absorbent pad will reach the exterior of the area upon which said projections are formed.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abrasive area is superimposed upon and .covers slightly more than half of the absorbent pad, said abrasive area having as being circular in cross-section, but obviously this 'is I optional. The several covers are preferably made .of a rigid material, such as metal or plastic.

It is to be understood'that the foregoing is to heregarded as illustrative and descriptive only of the best known forms of the invention, and not as limitative or restrictive of the exact details shown, applicant reserving no direct access to the liquid in said absorbent area.

5. A-device asset forth in claim 4, wherein the abrasive area is provided with a plurality .of spaced-apart openings through which liquid in the absorbent area can penetrate to the outside.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,566 Trowbridge Aug. 19,1919

1,705,256 Krusi Mar. 12, 1929 Negri June 16, 1953 

